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The Movers and Shakers
Secondary Career and Technical Education
Adult Education and Literacy
Community Colleges
News from Around the U.S. Department of Education
The Movers and Shakers
The East Valley Institute of Technology: A New Model for Career and Technical Education
The East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) located in Mesa, AZ provides a model of the new direction that career and technical education (CTE) is heading and is uniquely designed to provide a curriculum that meets the needs of the 21st century. This school captures the direction proposed for the Perkins reauthorization, which shifts emphasis away from traditional vocational education to a significantly stronger focus on supporting up-to-date career and technical education pathways for youth and adults that are offered in coordination between secondary schools and postsecondary education and training partners. The new direction supports and complements the academic achievement and accountability goals of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act by requiring states and local education agencies (LEAs) to focus more intensively on improving student academic achievement and outcomes in CTE programs.
Arizona’s EVIT model exemplifies the direction the new vision proposes. It is a public regional vocational high school that serves students from ten East Valley School districts. Students spend a half-day at EVIT in a technological program and the other half-day at their home high school. The 10th through 12th grade students are residents of the ten participating districts and can attend at no charge if they have met the class prerequisites. The school rigorously strives to achieve its mission: "to provide a productive, technically trained workforce that meets the market driven needs of business and industry . . . ."
All students are required to go through vocational assessment in the EVIT Assessment Center before entering a technological program. Students are evaluated for occupational interest, aptitude, and basic skills. Counselors review the test results with students and parents to place students in the most appropriate program. In cases where academic skills are lower than recommended levels, students are referred to the Enrichment Center as part of their vocational training plan. Other features of the program include a community college articulation, in place for high school students in designated courses. At EVIT, one-half credit is earned for every six weeks completed with a passing grade and 92 percent attendance. All of the EVIT high school students graduate from their home high school. Courses at EVIT are academically demanding, and some have prerequisites for entry. Academic levels of "Proficiency" and "Essentials" are based on the Arizona Academic Standards.For more information on EVIT, visit their website at http://www.evit.com
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Secondary, Career and Technical Education
President Bush releases Secondary and Technical Education Excellence Act Proposal
On Tuesday, May 11, 2004, the President’s proposal for the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 was released. The Carl D. Perkins Secondary and Technical Education Excellence Act (Perkins Sec Tech) outlines the administration’s major objectives and priorities for reauthorization. Building on the key principles of No Child Left Behind, the president is proposing to modernize the federal investment in vocational and technical education by combining the best elements of the current Perkins state grant program with the Tech-Prep program into a new program that will support partnerships between local education agencies, community colleges, and others that will offer Career and Technical Education Pathways. These pathways will provide high school students with the rigorous and relevant academic knowledge and technical skills necessary to transition to further education and training or to enter a skilled, high-demand occupation. The postsecondary component of each pathway would be available to adults seeking a career change or re-entering the workforce. The administration’s Perkins Sec Tech proposal is available on the department’s website at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/reauth/perkins.html.
Dr. Susan Sclafani, Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education, and Hans Meeder, Deputy Assistant Secretary, briefed representatives of education and business organizations on the proposal on May 11. Deputy Assistant Secretary Meeder briefed state directors of vocational and technical education in a conference call that afternoon. Meeder also discussed and responded to questions about the administration’s proposal on May 19 in a webcast provided by the National Dissemination Center on Career and Technical Education. The webcast can be viewed at the Dissemination Center’s website at www.nccte.org.
May 2004 Report to Congress on State Performance for the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998
This annual report has recently been submitted to Congress, and is available on the OVAE website at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/resource/ index.html#research.
The report is a requirement of the Perkins Act, and is a compilation and analysis of information gathered from the states' Consolidated Annual Reports (CARs). It contains information on the states' progress in achieving their adjusted performance levels that were negotiated with and approved by the department on the following core indicators listed in Section 113(b)(2)(A):
- Student attainment of challenging state-established academic, and vocational and technical, skill proficiencies;
- Student attainment of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, a proficiency credential in conjunction with a secondary school diploma, or a postsecondary degree or credential;
- Placement in, retention in, and compilation of, postsecondary education or advanced training, placement in military service, or placement or retention in employment; and,
- Student participation in and completion of vocational and technical education programs that lead to nontraditional training and employment.
As required by statute, the states also provide disaggregated data on the progress of students by gender, race, ethnicity and special population categories identified in the legislation.
Among the highlights of the report are:
- More students were reported by states as having enrolled in vocational and technical education courses in program year 2001-02 than in the past two years;
- Fifteen states met each of the program year 2001-02 secondary performance levels, while eight states met each of their postsecondary performance levels;
- Sixteen states were awarded incentive grants from the department during program year 2001-02 for having exceeded their performance levels overall under Perkins III, Title I of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), and the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA); and,
- There are significant issues of concern surrounding the quality and reliability of states’ performance data.
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Adult Education and Literacy
Congress Receives Annual Report on Adult Education Performance
OVAE recently submitted its annual adult education Report to Congress on State Performance. The new report covers Program Year (PY) 2001-2002 and provides an analysis of adult education information gathered from all states through our National Reporting System.
The report is required under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), which comprises Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). AEFLA is the major source of federal funds for adult basic skills programs. The law supports educational opportunities for adults over sixteen, not currently enrolled in school, and who lack a high school diploma or the basic skills to function effectively in the workplace or their daily lives. Opportunities focus on adult basic education, secondary school completion, and English language acquisition. In PY 2001-2002, the program enrolled 2.8 million learners nationwide—38 percent in adult basic education, 20 percent in secondary completion and 42 percent in English language learning programs.
Accountability for results is a central focus of AEFLA, and the law sets out performance accountability requirements for states and local programs. States must reach agreement with OVAE on performance targets for core indicators of performance described in the law. They include the following:
- Demonstrated improvements in literacy skill levels in reading, writing and speaking the English language, numeracy, problem-solving, English language acquisition, and other literacy skills;
- Placement in, retention in, or completion of, postsecondary education, training, unsubsidized employment, or career advancement; and
- Receipt of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent
The Report to Congress on State Performance outlines adult education performance goals for PY 2001-2002. Data reveal national trends in adult education performance that can help policymakers during the reauthorization of AEFLA. The report also outlines the extent to which each state achieved its negotiated benchmarks.
Here are some highlights of the report:
- The average state performance in PY 2001-2002 exceeded original benchmarks for four of the six measures. Educational gain, high school completion, and postsecondary transition made modest gains, while more significant gains were made for employment-related measures.
- Forty-seven states met or exceeded the average performance targets agreed upon for gains in basic literacy, with five states missing their negotiated targets.
- Forty-three states met or exceeded average English language acquisition benchmarks, with nine states not meeting their targets;
- Forty-five states met or exceeded their targets for high school completion while forty-three states met or exceed their performance targets for transition to postsecondary education or training.
- Forty-nine states met or exceeded their performance targets for employment, with forty-four states meeting or exceeding job retention benchmarks.
- Thirty-seven percent of students enrolled in lower level programs advanced at least one educational level, roughly equivalent to two K-12 grade levels, that year. Although an increase over the previous year’s performance, 37 percent still scored somewhat lower than OVAE’s own performance goal of 40 percent.
- Thirty-four percent of English language learners enrolled programs receiving AEFLA funds advanced one or more educational levels. While better than earlier results, this still was below OVAE’s goal of 42 percent.
- High school completion increased 27 percent over the previous year’s performance and exceeded OVAE’s performance goal of 40 percent.
- Likewise, transitions to postsecondary education, placement in unsubsidized employment, as well as employment retention bested the previous year’s performance and topped the Department’s own goals.
The focus on accountability clearly is generating positive results. A major difference is a
national trend away from merely counting the numbers of students served and hours of attendance,
toward establishing rigorous systems of student assessment. The systems identify each student’s
needs and abilities at intake as well as measure what students have learned and achieved from
instruction. To check on how well your state is progressing in achieving its performance goals,
see the state profiles in the report at
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MS WORD (3.8MB)
Community Colleges
Community Colleges Preparing America’s Workforce
Community and technical colleges play a vital role in preparing workers for the jobs of the 21st century. In partnership with local or national employers, these institutions provide training for high-demand careers to students of all ages—from those just leaving secondary school to adults seeking to upgrade their skills or change career paths. Community colleges have also been critical training providers for workers when local industry has suddenly closed or shifted in workforce needs. Additionally, many colleges focus on entrepreneurial programs, providing skills important for small business development. These activities have been the focus of several recent initiatives and reports related to workforce development.
Effective community colleges work with local industry to develop training programs for general industry competencies, as well as targeted programs to provide specific skills. In other cases, a number of colleges work together to meet employers’ workforce needs. The Auto Workforce Collaborative is a multi-state consortium of more than 15 community or technical colleges working to improve workforce education and training for automobile and light truck manufacturing, and other advanced and high-tech manufacturing. Working Connections is a collaboration of the American Association of Community Colleges and Microsoft Corporation to help community colleges develop and enhance information technology training programs through local business/industry partnerships, IT curriculum development, workforce development, and faculty/staff development.
In recent months, President Bush has spoken before several community college campuses, including Central Piedmont Community College and South Arkansas Community College. He also addressed the American Association of Community Colleges’ annual meeting. In his speech, the president talked about the vital role these institutions play in workforce development. The president also talked about his new Jobs for the 21st Century initiative in which he has proposed $250 million for 2005 to strengthen the role of community colleges in workforce development.
To assist community colleges in their efforts to effectively contribute to workforce development, the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, through the Community College Labor Market Responsiveness initiative, will research the indicators, policies, and practices that support labor-market responsiveness. OVAE will also provide reports and a handbook, to be released this fall, for community colleges to focus on what works.
Workforce Development Report Cites Role of Community Colleges
A new report from the Task Force on Workforce Development, Learning Partnerships: Strengthening American Jobs in the Global Economy, proposes "bottom-up partnerships" of government, educators, labor leaders, and employers to analyze job opportunities and workforce needs, and to develop effective training. Jointly sponsored by the New Economy Information Service and the Albert Shanker Institute, the study offers recommendations on improving workforce preparation and retraining, including adjusting provisions in the Workforce Investment Act.
The report particularly cites the role of community colleges in serving adult learners and providing training in the skills needed to compete in a global economy. Focusing on the need to make training more readily available to workers, the report also states, "If community colleges become more clearly engaged with employers and workers they can develop modular courses and certification programs that have the greatest appeal to adult learners."
Findings and recommendations are based on a year-long study in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. The core elements that are recommended include the following:
- Bottom-up partnerships tailored to the needs of employers, communities, and individual members of the workforce;
- Employee learning representatives to advise peers on learning needs and training opportunities;
- Learning incentives for employers, unions and individuals;
- Education and training for incumbent workers;
- Engagement of educators in the workplace;
- Enlistment of technology experts in learning partnerships to disseminate new technologies; and
- Appropriation of adequate funding.
Another State Promotes Transfer from Community College to Baccalaureate Institutions
Citing the state’s need to educate a workforce prepared for high-paying, highly skilled jobs, Rhode Island higher education leaders signed a Joint Admissions Agreement in early May 2004. The agreement describes paths for students enrolling in and graduating from the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) with an Associate Degree to transfer and apply 60 credits to the University of Rhode Island (URI) or Rhode Island College (RIC). Currently, 20 majors have been approved for the Joint Admissions Agreement.
CCRI students enrolled in the program are not viewed as transfer students, but as jointly admitted to the community college and the baccalaureate level institution. Students work with advisors to ensure their CCRI courses meet the requirements of RIC or URI. They must also maintain a 2.4 grade-point average. The Transfer Guide for Students spells out the transfer agreements among the colleges.
Principles spelled out in the joint admissions agreement include joint institutional admissions and program admissions, acceptance of general education credits, inter-institutional oversight, institutional coordinators, an automated information system for sharing transcripts, and a statewide assessment process.
Promoting transitions into and through postsecondary education is a key principle of OVAE’s Preparing America’s Future initiative, and builds on the academic achievement goal of NCLB.
TopNews from Around the U.S. Department of Education
NCLB Is NOT An "Unfunded Mandate," New GAO Report Confirms
The non-partisan General Accounting Office (GAO) recently released a report, "Unfunded Mandates: Analysis of Reform Act Coverage," that confirms that the No Child Left Behind Act is in fact not an “unfunded mandate,” as critics of the law have claimed. The following is a statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige on the report and its findings as they pertain to NCLB:
"The General Accounting Office reviewed information on close to 500 different statutes and regulations enacted in 2001 and 2002, including Congressional Budget Office reports about No Child Left Behind. The non-partisan GAO found that No Child Left Behind was in fact not an 'unfunded mandate,' as those who are opposed to accountability and education reform have often portrayed it in the press. The chorus of the 'unfunded mandate' has now been exposed for exactly what it is — a red herring — trying to take focus off the true subject at hand: changing the way we do things so that every child in America is provided a quality education, regardless of her or his skin color, spoken accent, or street address.
"According to the report, NCLB '[d]id not meet the [Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995's] definition of a mandate because the requirements were a condition of federal financial assistance' and 'any costs incurred by state, local or tribal governments would result from complying' with conditions for receiving the funds. As I have said many times before, NCLB is a radical departure from the old ways of doing things: gone are the days where taxpayers' hard-earned money was dispensed without any accountability for whether children were achieving.
"Perhaps we should think about what this law asks: getting all children in our great nation to be reading and doing math at grade level. I do not believe that is too much to ask, particularly given the $500 billion we spend every year at the state, local and national levels on K–12 education. That should be the ‘mandate’ of every school in the nation anyway. It’s time to put aside the excuses, roll up our sleeves and get down to the business of providing the great education that a nation such as ours is worthy of delivering."
Full Report
PDF (1,182K)
The President has set a new national goal: to ensure that every high school student graduates and is ready for the workplace or college.
High School Education: Through No Child Left Behind, President Bush has already made the
commitment to make a real difference in America’s schools. While No Child Left Behind will
prepare a new generation of students with the knowledge they need to succeed, more can be
done to improve our Nation’s high schools to meet the needs of the 21st Century workforce.
President Bush has proposed initiatives to ensure that every student graduates from high
school prepared to enter college or the workforce with the skills needed to succeed, including:
Full Article from the White House
To ask questions, provide comments, or receive email notification of the next issue, please email the Office of Vocational and Adult Education .
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